Misunderstood
by freakingdork
Summary: The first time Reid says yes to spending time together outside of work isn't the first time Morgan asked and the first time Morgan calls Reid 'pretty boy' is almost the last. Oneshot. Pre-slash, pre-canon fluff. Oneshot. Complete.


**Misunderstood**

* * *

The first time Derek asks Reid to do something outside of work, he offers to take him to some of the local museums. He's been crossing his fingers for the National Air and Space Museum ever since he came up with the idea, but Reid says no so quickly that Derek's completely thrown off guard.

"It's just...umm, I've got a lot of boxes to unpack," Reid quickly explains.

Derek grins. "I could help with that if you want."

"Uh, no, thanks," Reid says. "I'm really picky about where things go."

"Okay, well, if you change your mind, let me know?" He doesn't mean for it to be a question, but it comes out as half of one anyway.

Reid nods and walks off, leaving a very baffled Derek in the dust.

* * *

The second time Derek asks Reid to do something outside of work, he asks if Reid would like to go out to a bar with him after work. He's sure it's foolproof - it's a couple weeks after the last time, so Reid should be done moving, while still being new enough to not quite know his way around town yet. Sure, Reid dresses far more like a traditional geek than Derek does, but that doesn't necessarily mean he never dresses down or doesn't like going to bars.

"Thank you, but I'm terrible at dancing and nightclubs are very disorienting for me," Reid says.

"I know some great pubs," Derek says. "I could even drive you home after so you don't have to take the Metro."

"Well, I don't really drink much either."

"Not a problem, we could just eat food and talk," he offers, hoping that Reid will at least open up to the idea.

Reid looks slightly amused by his persistence, a good sign. "Maybe some other time."

"Sure thing pretty boy, just say the...uh...Reid?"

It takes a few seconds for Derek to realize why Reid had looked at him like he'd grown an extra limb before his eyes shot to the ground. His body language is completely cut off now and Derek feels like all his progress has gone down the drain.

"Sorry, I..." He stops, unsure of what exactly he's apologizing for. It's not untrue and even though it slipped out without his permission, Derek knows he meant it in a complimentary way, as an affectionate nickname. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"That's fine, I'm just going to..." Reid murmurs the rest of it, too quiet for Derek to hear, as he turns back to the paperwork on his desk.

Considering his reputation for being smooth and easy going, Derek's apparent inability to make friends with the new kid is almost upsetting and makes him feel guilty. Reid's friendly enough at work and when paired together, they're a great team, so he's not sure where the disconnect is.

* * *

His mama always said the third time's the charm.

"So I was watching the Farscape marathon this weekend," Morgan says, and damn if that doesn't get Reid's attention. It's kinda cute really, the way his head snaps up from his paperwork, and okay, yeah maybe Derek's got a little thing for the guy.

"And well, I saw a commercial for the reboot of Battlestar Galactica. I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my house to watch the premiere tonight. I mean, it's only the first half of the miniseries and the second part is tomorrow, but I just got a new big screen tv and..."

"Yes," Reid says, swift and sure.

"Really?"

Reid nods.

"Cool," he says before grabbing Reid's mug to get them both some more coffee.

* * *

Apparently, dogs are a bit of a deterrent for Reid, but Derek reminds him that Clooney's just a puppy and a well trained one at that. A small demonstration of his ability to follow commands and a promise from Derek to put him in his kennel while they're watching tv calms him down.

Derek pretends he doesn't notice that Reid's feeding his puppy scraps under the table.

Their conversation over dinner is easy and Derek's pleased to see all the happy little faces Reid makes, especially when he blushes. They talk books and Derek suggests other restaurants that he likes after a long, hard case. Reid looks at his new tv with a curious fascination, stating that his dissertation for his engineering in Ph.D. had been for similar technology.

And before they know it, it's time to watch the show.

* * *

They're only an hour in when Derek realizes this may have been the best thing to bond over after all. It's clear that they're both interested in the characters and the plot is engaging. He desperately wishes beyond all hope that the miniseries gets enough attention; while Derek could probably think of a new way to entice Reid into hanging out with him, this is what he wants.

"No. They can't just..._no_!" Reid screams at the tv as it ends. He turns to Derek and says point blank, "I mean, they used the pulsar blast, so they're not dead, right? I don't know if I can watch a series where they kill the best character in the first episode."

"Lee or Roslin?"

Reid just gives him a look that makes his answer quite clear.

"Well," Derek says leisurely, "the second part is tomorrow. I guess we'll have to find out then."

"You are a terrible person and I hate you so much right now."

Derek laughs. "I kinda hate me too right now. Alright, let's get you home."

* * *

Reid's mostly quiet on the drive home and they're at a red light when Reid asks, "So you were actually watching Farscape this weekend?"

"Yep. I might not look it, but I'm kind of a huge geek. We all are, even Hotch."

Reid's quiet again, clearly thinking about something.

"What did you mean when you called me that?" Reid asks.

"Huh?"

"Pretty boy, what did you mean by it?"

Derek takes a deep breath and braces himself. "It just slipped out."

Reid starts shifting in his seat.

"But I meant it," he continues. "I wasn't playing with you or being mean, if that's what you're thinking, and since it makes you uncomfortable, I won't call you that again."

"You really didn't mean it negatively?" Reid asks, curious and unsure.

"Reid, you have been an excellent addition to our team and I think you're a great guy. I might tease you from time to time because that's my personality, but I honestly can't think of a bad thing to say about you, okay?"

Reid smiles, a bit timid, but entirely endearing. "Okay then...you don't have to stop calling me that. Well, if you want to still call me that I guess."

"You sure?"

Reid nods.

"Okay pretty boy, whatever you want."

* * *

**A/N -** I love reviews and when I get a bunch of them, it really eases my anxiety regarding writing (see my profile for more explanation), but **please don't ask me to continue a fic that I've marked as complete**. While I can logically recognize it's generally a compliment to my writing and/or the general story idea, it actually aggravates my writing anxiety and makes me less likely to write overall. I hope I still get reviews from people who wish there was more, but **when I mark complete, I really do mean complete**. Thank you so much for being understanding.


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